Summertime is when living should be easy. While barbequing is a beloved hot weather ritual enjoyed outdoors, hopefully with a beverage in hand – regular cooking, involving the stove and oven is something no one wants to do when the weather turns steamy. Instead make the salad bowl your friend with some easy recipes that are as healthy as they are delicious. They’ll bring a smile to the lips but no sweat to your brow!

Avocado Crunch Salad

This yummy dish is adapted from the Smitten Kitchen blog, but plumps things up by adding more greens, and slims down by swapping out the mayo! The creaminess of the avocado is a delicious contrast to the crispness of the cucumber, lettuce and celery. Whisk together yogurt with the lime juice and season with salt, pepper and perhaps a dash of hot sauce. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour dressing over top, garnishing with the parsley.

1 large avocado, pitted and diced

1 large seedless cucumber, quartered and chopped

1 heart of romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 stalk celery, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

4 tbsp plain yogurt

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Parsley for garnish

Spicy Chickpea Bowl

For a meal packed with protein and fibre, chickpeas can’t be beat. This can be a kitchen sink type of salad, where you toss in other veggies or leftover quinoa that you may have on hand. If you want to go vegan with this just omit the feta. To make, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Whisk the vinegar and spices together with the olive oil. In a medium bowl gently mix dressing with chickpeas and vegetables, then let sit for an hour before serving to allow the flavours to blend. Top with feta before serving.

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 pinch salt

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cucumber, quartered and chopped

1/3 cup red onion, diced

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Maple Mustard Spinach Salad

Swap out the usual honey mustard dressing for mineral and antioxidant-rich maple syrup. Add shallot, mustards, vinegar and maple syrup to a small bowl and whisk in the oil. Or just put everything in a jar, seal it up and shake! Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss dressing with baby spinach and garnish with the apple, goat cheese and almonds.